OUTLINE
The Biodynamic approach is centered around the whole person and the skills of a qualified practitioner will allow for a deep listening of structural, emotional and spiritual components of Health in the person: changes occuring following treatment are affecting all aspects of one's life. The sensitive presence and listening of the practitioner allows for the profound re-organisation of the forces attending to natural health processes.
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and its evolution
It all started with Osteopathy, founded by Andrew Still about 150 years ago. One of his students, William Garner Sutherland (1873-1954) is considered to have founded an adjunct to the traditional Osteopathic model: the Cranial field of Osteopathy. More recently, 30 year ago, another osteopath John Upledger started to teach some aspects of this model to a much broader non-osteopath public and under a different name: the term Craniosacral Therapy was coined.
A few inspired teachers, amongst them Franklyn Sills, influenced the work and brought in a more faith (Buddhist) based approach to the work, as well as broaden the scope to trauma resolution models.
In the last 30 years, different associations and trainings organizations have since evolved this work into different avenues. Different initiatives are being undertaken world-wide to bring homogeneity to the Biodynamic approach. Work in this area is still in progress.
Essentially, the commonality of different schools of thoughts around the Biodynamic model seem to come together around one main factor: Neutrality and Presence are the most essential practitioner's skills, and the ones that will allow fluids, tissue, structures and emotional as well as transpersonal layers to shift towards better health.
The elegance and power of this work lies in it's natural simplicity. The art of the practitioner resides in learning how to neutrally facilitate the natural expression of Health in the body, hence allowing reorganization, as well as trauma, to be safely resolved. These are the very common results as well as the hallmark offered by this unique model of therapeutic relationship.
A very insightful look at this, offered by Lao-Tzu : "…there is nothing that non-doing can not achieve…" (Lao-tzu, aphorism 48).
Mission of the training
Our mission is to graduate inspired and inspiring Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy leaders committed to the highest standards of professional excellence and safety in the Craniosacral Healing art, as well as to lifelong learning and development.
The training is inspired by the pioneers and leaders of this work before us. It acknowledges the lineage as well as opens up the curriculum to completely new developments and leading edge concepts in the field.
The gradual and layering learning process offered and carefully monitored for each individual during the training will lead the student to a transformative and integrative experience.
Skills acquired:
Amongst the important skills acquired during the training:
Palpatory - a deeper sensitivity is necessary to differentiate the varied fields explored via a Craniosacral touch. You will learn how to create and enrich your own personal "dictionary" of palpatory experiences.
Perceptual - you will learn how to develop new and acute transformative perceptual abilities in order to "see" the body in very different ways. The way you "see" a person is profoundly determinant in her ability to shift towards greater levels of transformative wellbeing.
Presence - it takes some understanding (and practice) to become present in a neutral way, hence creating a non-intrusive space where the story of the patient can be told and witnessed safely with the deepest therapeutic results.
Clinical - following your training you will have a very good grounded practice and understanding of what happens in the running of a daily clinic. You will acquire the sensitivity to treat very different people with very different issues and to adapt and modulate the Therapeutic field to guarantee the best results.
Intuitive - you will learn how to perceive the patient and the elements of their story from a non-dualistic/ non-linear perspective. And you will learn to appreciate the possibilities this skill offers, often catalysing life-changing results for both client and practitioner.
Practical - the Curriculum offers a strong emphasis on Practice management and ethical skills and provides a practical understanding of how to create, develop and sustain the growth of a clinic: the tools and processes fostering a successful practice.
Self-Assessment - the lifelong skills of Self-Assessment, Enquiry and personal growth will be taught and monitored during the training
Anatomy & Physiology
The whole curriculum brings a strong focus on applied anatomy and physiology as well as experiential exercises as a way to increase body awareness and to foster an understanding of one's own body processes. This experiential learning allows clarity when relating to a client's system.
Learning process
- Seminars: The curriculum is composed of a variable number of seminars (11 seminars of 4 dyas each for the New Zealand training, overseas trainings might differ in seminar number and duration) offering a total of 45 contact-days over a period of 15 months . Each seminar is organized around some key concepts and experiential work. (note: most often the seminars are planned along extended weekends to offer less disruption of family or work commitments).
- Course format: The curriculum spreads over a period varying between 15 to 18 months necessary to allow for a natural progression of skills through practice. The seminars are a combination of talks, discussions, Q & A, small group work, and paired hands-on work.
- Assessment: The learning process is assessed and supported continuously with supervision from tutors.
- Notes: In-depth course notes are provided throughout the entire course.
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a transformational experience for both practitioners and clients and will often clarify emotional or behavioral patterns. Skills acquired during this training will naturally allow for personal processing of these patterns as well as allow the student to support safely the client's own processes. It is suggested that regular one-on-one treatments be undertaken by the student during the learning process. A list of available Craniosacral practitioners can be supplied.
Teaching Format
• Small class size.
• Learning is promoted largely by observation, exploration, experiential exercises and constant feedback and monitoring from the tutors.
• Teaching methods include lectures, the use of visual aids, presentations, movies, demonstrations, guided sessions, visualisation work, supervision feedback and small groups or class discussions.
• One of the most powerful way to learn this work is to get direct feedback from a tutor whilst you are practicing. Students will be able to get clarity on their perception from experienced tutors: whilst in contact with another student on the table, the tutors will tune-in (via a hand contact on the student's hands or/and the client) into the student's session providing feedback and clarity. Vice-versa, at times students will be given the opportunity to follow a tutor's session in the same manner and gain insight on the treatment.
• Practical clinical applications are emphasized with a great emphasis given to hands-on practical session work.
• Course Notes as well as diagrams and drawings to support the learning process are provided.
• Written course feedback forms are part of many homework assignments
Home Study and student assessment
A combination of reflections, reading, writing, and hands-on practice constitutes the home study work. Regular feedback from tutors is provided. A Self-assessment program is started from the early days and maintained throughout the entire course. At set times tutors will give an in-depth clarification on your levels of understanding of practice and clinical skills. Constant hands-on feedback is given.
Accreditation
Upon successful completion of the training you will be Certified as a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. Your certificate will allow you to gain professional credibility locally and internationally via the International Institute of Complementary Therapy. Membership to the IICT offers professional liability options.
What the Biodynamic Craniosacral Institute offers:
During the learning process: A mix of experienced International & local Tutor team bringing a breadth and depth of experience which guarantees an open and creative learning process.A team passionately dedicated to your personal growth and development.
- A new teaching methodology focused on transformative knowledge (vs informative).
- Its own integrated venue adapted to learning requirements.
- An online learning knowledge base and central repository for tutors/students communication.
After graduation:
- Post-grads & workshops guaranteeing continuing education.
- On successful completion of the Training a student will gain a Professional Certification and given the opportunity to become a member of a Professional Association with a focus on members benefits, client safety and the promotion of Craniosacral Therapy.
- The option of Internship following graduation. The Internship program is currently elaborated and will be managed and supervised on site at the Institute premises, within the integrated Craniosacral clinic.
- A continuous learning environment as well as professional opportunities.
What makes our Training different from others:
- A new collaborative (vs directive) approach with the Breath of Life and the Life Impulse as expressed in the Primary Respriaration.
- The Life Impulse presented as a new concept and powerful way to deepen our relationship with, and enlist the dynamics at the heart of Potency in the tissues. Life Impulse as a universal principle covering all stages of life from pre-conception to embryonic states, to mature adulthood.
- The Craniosacral Rhytmical Impulse (CRI) is the most tangible of all the rhythms expressed in the body. It has been disregarded in some curricula. However, it is an important part of our training and is given a fresh and new attention, and leveraged as an important way of entering and attune to the Therapeutic mechanisms at the heart of the client-practitioner relationship.
- The training offers a wide range of experiential techniques and exercises (body, breath or mind focused) to develop a safe learning and integration of the work.
- The skill of Presence and Neutral Engagement with the client's varied fields (embryonic, anatomic, autonomic, biodynamic or energetic) acquired during this training is a primary factor to the depth of therapeutic processes. The student will develop accuracy in recognising, interacting and supporting the varied steps of the healing process.
- Innovative and unique perceptual skills, gradually and incrementally layered during this training, are the key to a new way of relating to Health patterns in the body. In a balanced, neutral, though fully engaged state of awareness, the student will "see, sense and follow" all the subtle motions of the Breath of Life as well as the many fluidic rhythms of the Cranial approach. The witnessing of states of Health in a non-sequential way (all at once simultaneously) is the trademark of our Trainings.
- Specific non-ordinary states of awareness are studied and safely practiced during the training in view of deepening the therapeutic relationship entered with a client. These states make it possible to connect in an entirely different and more profound way with the forces of Nature at work within the health of the patient. These cultivated visionary states provide direct experiential access to different levels of reality, opening possibilities for deep changes and transformation.
